Wiggins: Froome would be my greatest rival on another team

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TEAM Sky’s Bradley Wiggins admits that the greatest threat to his ambitions of winning this year’s Tour de France would come from fellow Briton Chris Froome if he were on another team,

Wiggins remains the Tour’s leader after the race’s 15th stage was won by Pierrick Fedrigo of France but if any concerns remain that team-mate Froome may seek glory at Wiggins’s expense then the former is clearly not in agreement.

“We’re first and second on GC [the general classification],” said Wiggins, who retains the yellow jersey and remains an overall two minutes and five seconds in front of Froome. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work that out. He’s my team-mate. We’ll keep it like that.”

Such an admission from Wiggins may potentially be regarded as a sign over confidence but the race leader remains adamant that Saturday’s time trial will have a considerable influence in determining who will top the podium after the final day on Sunday.

“The last time-trial of the Tour is not the same as the one in the first week. You’re tired and it’s not easy to put in the same amount of effort as in the first week.”

Having overcome Lyme’s disease earlier this year, Fedrigo’s win – achieved in three hours, 40 minutes and 15 seconds, ahead of Christian Vande Velde after the duo both sprinted for victory with five kilometres remaining – provided the rider with a significant sense of achievement.

“Each stage that I have won offers something special. The first is always moving. The second was in Tarbes, a few miles from my house. The third was the Queen Stage of the Pyrenees in 2010 – they are beautiful places for me. And this is the victory of a comeback after a year of illness, and that means a lot.”